‘If You go There, I Hope you Find it’— and if your journey is in search of an album filled with beautifully crafted, introspective songs of hope and acceptance, then you’ve arrived at your destination.
The Australian band have been quietly building an impressive body of work around their signature folk-electric (with a small “e”) sound ever since their debut single ‘Bloom’ back in 2010. Now, with this, their seventh album, they refine that craft to an even higher level, delivering a consistently assured collection across its ten tracks.
The album is rich with mid-paced, gently stirring songs, bound together by Sam Bentley’s deep, resonant vocals. His voice lends a meditative quality to reflections on love, belonging, and hope—at times intimate and melancholic, at others quietly uplifting.
There is a striking simplicity at the heart of the band’s material. Sam’s voice rests effortlessly atop sweet, unhurried melodies, beautifully played by the ensemble of David Powys, Christina Lacy, Sam Rasmussen, and Josh Bentley. Nothing feels overworked; each element is allowed the space to breathe.
Even after a single listen, favourites begin to emerge. ‘When the Lavender Blooms’ is a case in point. Its opening bars briefly recall Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Only Want to Be with You,” but it quickly blossoms into something unmistakably the Kites’ own. It shimmers along with warmth and grace, speaking to the idea that our hopes and aspirations might be met right where we already stand:
Running, I know I keep running, from the good love
I was given
And I’m trying, yeah, I know I’ve been trying
To turn my—myself around
I want to put my feet in the ground, of the place that I found you
Try some good living
When the lavender blooms
When the lavender blooms
Tracks such as ‘Shake Off the Rain’, ‘Every Town’, ‘Morning Gum’, ‘Stormwall’, and ‘Change of the Wind feel’ destined to sit comfortably alongside past favourites in the band’s live sets. That said, there is no filler here—this is a wonderfully chilled yet captivating listen from start to finish.
There is a quiet power running throughout the record: songs that invite pause, reflection, and the occasional rewind.
Aside from ‘Bloom’, I hadn’t spent much time with the band’s earlier work, but after hearing this album, I’ve eagerly devoured their back catalogue. A line from ‘Morning Gum’—“Spare me the news of the day, this world’s bringing me down”—might suggest weariness, yet the album’s overall effect is the opposite. It is deeply uplifting and undeniably feel-good.
Christina Lacy has suggested that listeners are free to ponder the “there” and “it” of the album’s title for themselves. The record explores that restless sense of always searching for something—even in moments when we are already content.
The band can be seen live at the Limelight in Belfast on 17th February, followed by Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre on 18th February, as part of their world tour.